1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a trim piece system that can be incorporated into a refrigerator employing door handles mounted to either a front face portion of a refrigerator door or side edge portions of the refrigerator door.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Refrigerators of various models and sizes are well known in the art. Typical refrigerator models include top mount, bottom mount and side-by-side versions. In addition, many refrigerators are available in a variety of standard or custom colors to match a consumers particular kitchen décor. However, in today's market, it is becoming more popular to recess refrigerators between adjacent cabinetry or the like in a kitchen area in order to provide a built-in look which is considered by many to be aesthetically appealing. Often times, the refrigerator will include wood or wood-like decorative panels that help the appliance to further blend with adjacent cabinetry. Since front doors of a refrigerator must be spaced from any adjacent structure in order to enable unobstructed movement, the refrigerator must project outward from the adjacent structure to some degree. Unfortunately, the outward projection of the refrigerator cabinet in this manner exposes, to a certain degree, frontal portions of the side walls of the cabinet and/or outer peripheral edges of the door(s). The exposed side walls and/or outer peripheral edge is considered to detract from the built-in appearance.
In order to minimize the appearance of the exposed portions of the cabinet and/or doors, it has been proposed to provide cosmetic trim pieces along exposed side portions of the cabinet and/or doors thereby establishing a more finished appearance, as well as serving as structure that retains the decorative panels on the doors. In addition to trim pieces, handles must also be fastened to the doors to allow a consumer to readily gain access to refrigerated compartments. The handles are typically secured to front face portions of the outer, decorative panels or along side edge portions of the door depending upon the particular model refrigerator. That is, refrigerators that employ outer, decorative wood panels are typically provided with door pulls that match the adjacent cabinetry, while other models may include a door handle that extends along an edge portion of the door. Of course, models that employ decorative wood panels can also include a door handle that extends along an outer edge portion of the door.
Unfortunately, the two different style handles require different door structure. More specifically, depending upon the door handle employed, the refrigerator door will require upper and lower trim pieces tailored for use with the specific handle. Doors that include decorative wood panels or the like require trim pieces that extend substantially an entire length of the upper and lower edge portions of the door. In contrast, doors that include handles that extend along side edge portions of the door require a shorter trim piece on the upper and lower edge portions of the door. The shorter trim pieces are required to accommodate caps or covers that hide exposed end portions of the side-mounted handle.
The two, unique trim pieces present a problem for manufacturers or, more accurately, consumers. A consumer who chooses one or the other style door cannot readily change that decision once the refrigerator is constructed. That is, given that wiring, plumbing and the like typically pass through upper and/or lower portions of the door, particularly at hinge points, exchanging longer and shorter trim pieces cannot be readily accomplished in the field. Thus, unless the consumer can afford the expense associated with essentially rebuilding or purchasing a completely new refrigerator door, once the refrigerator arrives in the home, it can no longer be readily modified to suit the consumers existing or future requirements.
Based on the above, there exists a need for a universal trim piece arrangement for refrigerator doors. More specifically, there exists a need for a universal trim piece system that can be mounted to upper and lower edge portions of a refrigerator door and employed in connection with doors having either front mounted handles or handles mounted along side edge portions of the door. Most importantly, the universal trim piece system can be readily employed with either door configuration without with requiring significant changes to the door itself, such as if a change in handles is desired.